resist the siren's call

18

"She walked through the fire wearing nothing but a smile."

Time flew by as I led men to their death.

I felt as if I was free when watching the life be ripped from these men.

A pang of guilt would stab my heart every so often, but I'd remind myself of how human emotions were. And I'd squander them.

Alexander had not been called out yet, but I knew only Jonas and him were left as I walked out from the ocean.

I brushed the sand from my legs, knowing every eye in the stands were resting on me.

"Next to compete is Jonas the schoolteacher!"

The crowd cheered as Jonas stepped out of the building. A pang of curiosity spring through my mind, what were they talking about when they were alone in the building?

Jonas walked toward me. He was not dressed for a day on the beach, but rather formally. "I have heard that so far, you have successfully murdered each volunteer so far."

I smirked, "Don't tell me you're confident you can escape your fate?"

Jonas shrugged and stuck his thumbs in his pockets before making his way to the edge of the beach. "I'm not confident about anything, I know little about your kind."

"Then why did you volunteer?"

Jonas took off his nice shoes and tossed them to the side, "My students convinced me to." He chuckled, "Although I don't think they thought it would get me killed."

I watched him curiously enter the water. "Why didn't you withdraw?"

He smiled soberly, "To withdraw would be a life of ridicule. I would be considered a coward."

I was happy when I felt no feeling of regret on his behalf.

A random member of the crowd shouted, "Stop chatting and get on with it!"

Normally, I would have ignored any comments from the crowd. Most of them were drunken remarks anyway.

But something about what he said made anger boil and a slight red tint fill the air.

This coward citizen, comfortable in the safety of the stands felt it acceptable to question my methods of disposing of the volunteers.

I searched for the civilian and found an overweight man laughing with his friends, he even tried to start a chant, "Kill him! Kill him! Kill him!" But it didn't pick up.

I held my pointer finger up to Jonas.

For a moment, a flit of concern crossed my mind. How would the king, or Caspian react?

But that was all washed away by the power that I knew I wielded. I could take care of myself. I would not have citizens thinking they could question me.

I strode right up to the overweight man.

The announcer met me at the stands and whispered, "What are you doing? Go drown him!"

I smiled to him, but only for a moment. I returned my attention to the scum in front of me.

"Do you believe that mans life is worth less than yours?"

I could tell the man was fronting confidence over his fear, but he responded nearly casually, "Of course I do."

"Then why would I want him when I could have you?"

I watched the man panic as my song filled his senses.

Unwillingly my song was violent and less smooth than usual, reflecting my anger.

But that was no matter now, as it worked all the same. Making an anxious man follow my every command.

His pain was evident, but he hopped the small barrier separating the two of us before following me into the ocean.

I didn't connect our lips, but instead pushed him straight under the water as soon as it was deep enough to keep him under. I didn't even turn my legs into my tail, I simply knelt next to him and pushed him into the sandy ground.

I made sure everyone in the stands could watch with a clear view as he struggled, flailing and fighting for his life as I held him down until he suffocated from the water.

Once he stopped moving I released him and watched as his body washed on shore.

All eyes followed me as I walked back to Jonas with a neutral expression on my face. "How many teachers are at the school?"

Jonas was white as snow, but he managed to squeak out, "Four."

"Including you?"

He nodded.

"What grade do you teach?"

"I tech the eighth, ninth, and tenth grades."

"If you died, who would take your position?"

Jonas cleared his throat, and upon further inspection he was fighting tears. "The kids would have no one until they could find a replacement."

I deliberated.

Human emotions were weak, and ridiculous.

But I hated hurting children, especially when I liked them to grow up intelligent.

This man could raise dozens of intelligent children who could one day travel into my waters.

I walked past Jonas up to Caspian's chair. "I'm not going to kill him."

Whispers broke out in the crowd, but none formally objected.

Caspian met my eyes, "I cannot force you to," He paused and turned to the King, "She has demonstrated her abilities quite...extensively. Hasn't she father?"

The king nodded, "The last two volunteers will be spared." He announced.

I smiled and walked away, I enjoyed looking at the crowds expressions. Some were shocked, some were impressed, some were angry, and most surprisingly, some were happy.

I met Calliste and when she offered to help me change, I declined. "I'll have Hera help me change at the castle. It's far to hot of a day for me to be walking around in that thing."

She nodded in acceptance and so we left.